Hometown Hero 10/9/2008: Brian Brennan

Brian Brennan

October 29, 2008 2:28:56 PM PDT

Eyewitness News

New York --

Christopher Reeve once said, "A hero is an individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles." 7Online.com's Hometown Hero Lt. Brian Brennan of Howell, NJ is living proof of Reeve's statement. Only two months after being deployed to Afghanistan, Brian, a decorated Citadel graduate, was involved in an IED attack in which the Humvee he was riding in was blown up. Only Brian and the driver of the vehicle, Spc. Ryan Price, survived the attack. Rescue workers arrived to find Brian in cardiac arrest on the side of the road.

Brian suffered multiple injuries, including a fractured left shoulder blade and pelvic bone, several compound fractures to his left arm, a collapsed lung, a ruptured spleen, a shattered femur, and minor brain trauma. Both of Brian's legs were amputated, one below the knee and the other just above it. After the attack, Brian underwent three surgeries in one week to insure that his legs would not get infected. Brian was unresponsive for 23 days until he received a visit from Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S commander in Iraq. When Gen. Petraeus said the word, "currahee," which translates to "We Stand Alone" (his company's motto), Lt. Brennan immediately sat up at attention. Since the incident, Brian has received a pair of prosthetic legs, which have enabled him to walk with the aid of a cane. Lt. Brian Brennan is truly a Hometown Hero as he has overcome the obstacles and difficulties that life has placed before him and has achieved the impossible with dignity and determination.

Although he carries a great burden himself, Brian selflessly thinks of other soldiers going through the same ordeal that he has and has created a charity, the "Stands Alone" trust fund, to aid his fellow soldiers. Lt. Brian Brennan truly deserves recognition as a Hometown Hero.